Does the skeletal muscles help move food throught the GI tract?

Skeletal muscles do not directly move food through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract; instead, smooth muscles perform this function. The smooth muscles, which are found in the walls of the GI tract, contract rhythmically in a process called peristalsis to propel food along. Skeletal muscles are involved in the voluntary control of swallowing in the upper part of the esophagus, but the majority of digestion and movement is handled by smooth muscle contractions.